Hanger bearings and hanging bearing couplings are used in situations where two shafts are to be connected together and centrally mounted within a housing. Hanger bearing couplings are for example used to couple together screw augers, which are mounted within an outer tube casing. In this particular example predetermined lengths of screw augers are connected together by the hanger bearing coupling, which ensures that the central shaft of each of the screw augers to be connected together is positioned centrally within the outer tube casing of the screw auger.
These screw augers are often used to convey very abrasive materials such as alumna, shot and other materials which if they invade the bearing can be very damaging and cause premature failure of the bearings used in the hanger bearing couplings. In addition it is preferable that the two shafts that are connected together be connected with a coupling which will accommodate small angular misalignments between sections of the augers. In practice it is difficult to obtain perfect alignment between sections.
Therefore preferably a hanger bearing coupling which is used in severe conditions such as for the connection of two lengths of screw augers within a circular pipe are subject to severe operating conditions and therefore there is a need for hanger bearing couplings which minimize the intrusion or the penetration of foreign materials into the bearing to ensure maximum bearing life and to accommodate small angular misalignments between sections of the augers.